Safety razor



, Nov. 10, 1936. A RYLEY 2,060,445

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 4, 1933 INVENTOR 1. G. Hgley ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY RAZOR Alfred G. Ryley, Canton, Ohio, assignor to Walter H. Wiewel, Canton, Ohio The invention relates generally to the type of razors in which the blade is carried by a cross head on the end of the handle, and more specifically, to razors employing a substantially rigid blade carried in a fiat position in the head.

An object of the present improvement is to provide yielding resilient means for permitting lateral sliding movement of the head relative to the handle in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the blade as the head is moved over the surface of the skin.

I have found that a razor embodying the present improvements accomplishes an easier, closer, and cleaner cutting action of the blade, with less injury to or impairment of the surface of the skin, and with less wearing or dulling of the cutting edge of the blade, than can be done with a razor in which the head is rigidly mounted with respect to the handle.

Prior constructions have included means for adjusting the angle of the blade with respect to the direction of movement, or for tilting the head laterally at an angle to the axis of the handle in order to facilitate the cutting action of the blade,

but in all these cases it has been proposed to secure the blade carrying head inflexibly or fixedly in its adjusted position during the shaving operation.

I have discovered that, with razors employing a substantially rigid blade maintained in a flat position in the head, the cutting action of the blade is so greatly improved by providing for resilient lateral sliding movement of the head relative to the handle in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the blade in clamped position, that it becomes entirely unnecessary to provide for adjusting the angle of the blade or head with respect to the axis of the handle.

Tothis end, the objects of the present invention may be attained by providing a guideway on the head and disposed perpendicular to the cutting edge and parallel to the plane of the blade, a spring actuated plunger slidably mounted in the guideway, the handle being rigidly secured to the plunger, and means limiting the movement of the plunger, the spring pressure being of such strength that the head may move resiliently relative to the handle by resistance of the beard to the cutting action of the blade, but will always tend to return to normal position by the spring pressure on the plunger.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a plan view of one type of razor employing a rigid blade, and embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section as on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section, of a modified form of the invention.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

An ordinary form of head in a well known safety razor employing a substantially rigid blade is shown in the drawings, and includes the blade l0 supported on a base plate II and clamped in position by a cover I2. The blade I0 is properly positioned on the base plate H by means of guide ears l3 bent out from the edges of the base plate H and adapted to fit over the side edges of the blade. The blade is supported at its cutting edge H! by means of ears It. struck out from the bottom of the base plate A back up plate or handle mounting plate l5 may be secured to the base plate I in any suitable manner. and the plate I5 is provided with depending legs H5 at each side of the plate The legs I6 are preferably provided at their bottom portions with studs I1 upon which the case I2 is hinged.

The case l2 may be provided in its top portion with a spring clamp plate I8 for clamping against the top edge of the blade l0 when the case is closed as shown in the drawing, and the clamp plate I8 is preferably provided with a projecting lug l9 adapted for resiliently engaging over the top edge of the plate l as best shown in Fig. 2. The central portion of the top edge of the case l2 may have a raised portion 2|] for providing a thumb engaging portion to facilitate opening of the case.

For the purpose of the present invention, the back up plate I5 may have secured thereto or formed integral therewith, a guideway 2|, which may be in the form of a hollow cylinder as shown in the drawing. The cylinder 2| is preferably open at its top end and has a closed bottom wall 22. The cylinder 2| is preferably disposed perpendicular to the cutting edge ID of the blade and substantially parallel to the plane of the blade II], or in other words, the cylinder 2| is disposed laterally of the head and substantially parallel to the plane of the blade.

A plunger or piston 23 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 2|, and is provided at its lower end with a spring receiving socket 24. A helical spring may be located within the cylinder, having its upper end inserted in the socket 24 and its lower end abutting a resilient gasket 26, which may be of rubber, and the gasket is tightly fitted in the cylinder and abuts against the bottom wall 22.

The plunger 23 slidably mounted in the cylinder 2| constitutes guide means mounting the head for lateral sliding movement relative to the handle and in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the blade I U.

The cylinder 2| is provided at the side opposite the head with a slotted portion indicated at 2! for providing connection between the plunger 23 and the handle 28 of the razor. The shank 29 of the handle is located through the slotted portion 21 and may be screwed into the plunger 23 to provide a rigid connection therewith, and a rubber inset 30 is preferably provided in the top of the shank for engaging the top Wall 3| of the slot 21.

The length of the plunger 23 is so proportioned relative to the height of the slot 2! and to the diameter of the shank 29, that when the head of the razor moves laterally with respect to the handle the bottom wall 32 of the slot forms a stop shoulder adapted to engage the shank to limit the movement in one direction, and the top wall 3| forms a stop shoulder adapted to engage the rubber inset 30 to limit the movement in the opposite direction.

The normal position of the head relative to the handle is shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and the limit of upward movement of the head is shown in dot-dash lines.

The side walls 33 of the slot 27 act as stops to limit the rocking or pivotal movement of the handle about the axis of the cylinder 2|, by engagement with the shank 29, and the extreme positions of the handle due to this rocking'movement are indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1.

The strength of the spring 25 is so proportioned to the other parts of the head and to the handle, that the head may yieldingly slide upwardly relative to the handle by resistance of the beard to the cutting action of the blade as the cutting edge thereof is drawn downwardly over the face.

The rubber gasket 26 is calculated to augment the action of spring 25 so as to improve the resiliency of the head as the blade is drawn over the surface of the face, and in the normal operation of the razor, the rubber gasket 26 is engaged by the bottom edge of the socket 24 just before the shank 29 engages the stop shoulder 32, eliminating noise due to impact and to resonance of the cylinder. The rubber inset 30 avoids any noise of frictional contact between the shank and the top wall 3| of the slot when the head is returned to normal position.

The modified form shown in Fig. 5 includes a head identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, having a case l2 and guideway 2| in which the plunger 23a. is slidably mounted and actuated by the spring 25. The handle 28 has its axis located at an angle from normal to the axis of the guideway 2|, and the plunger 23a is provided with a recessed portion in which the shank 29 fits, the end of the shank being screwed into the plunger as shown at 36. In this form, the head moves laterally in a direction parallel to the plane of the blade, and the angle of the handle is adapted to facilitate manipulation of the razor to suit the tastes of various users.

It will be understood that while I have shown my invention applied to one well known type of safety razor, the invention may be equally well applied to various other type of razors, and is particularly advantageous when used in connection with types of razors employing a substantially rigid blade in a fiat position.

It will also be understood that, while I have shown and described the guideway as being a cylinder mounted on the head, the guideway may be mounted on the handle and the guide means may be made in various forms without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the claims.

In the operation of the razor, the resilient action derived from the compression spring 25 abutting the resilient gasket 26 and bearing on the plunger 23, causes the blade head, when shaving, to yield proportionately to the resistance offered to the blade by the beard and the spring returns the head to normal position when the resistance is removed, the head always moving in a direction parallel to the plane of the blade; so that the shaving operation is made easier and the danger of cutting the face due to pulling the razor too forcibly is practically eliminated.

Also the yielding resistance improves the cutting action of the blade, and has the effect of preserving the edge of the same, thereby increasing its longevity.

Moreover, the limited rocking movement of the handle about the axis of the plunger, facilitates manipulation of the razor over the irregular contours of the face while maintaining the cutting edge of the blade in proper relation to the skin.

Due to the substantial elimination of abrasions of the skin, in using my improved razor, the face is left without irritation or discomfiture, even after a close shaving, such as results from the various types of razors having the head rigidly connected to the handle and without the yielding effect attained herein.

The improved razor is simple and compact in construction, and relatively light in weight, and requires no adjustment Whatever by the user.

The yielding resiliency of the blade head proportions itself to the resistance encountered by the blade, so that the razor is equally advantageous on beards of varying stiffness or abundance.

I claim:

1. A razor including a head, a blade carried in the head and having a lower cutting edge, a handle, guide means mounting the head for lateral sliding movement relative to the handle and in a direction perpendicular to the cutting edge of the blade and substantially parallel to the plane of the blade and means resiliently opposing upward movement of the head relative to the handle.

2. A razor including a head, a blade carried in the head and having a lower cutting edge, a handle, guide means mounting the head for lateral sliding movement relative to the handle and in a direction perpendicular to the cutting edge of the blade and substantially parallel to the plane of the blade, and spring means resiliently opposing upward sliding movement of the head.

3. A razor including a head, a blade carried in the head, a guideway mounted on the head disposed laterally thereof and substantially parallel to the plane of the blade, a plunger slldably mounted in the guideway for movement laterally of the head, a handle secured to the plunger, resilient means normally urging the plunger in one direction, and stop means for limiting the movement of the plunger.

4. A razor including a head and a handle, a

blade carried in the head and having a cutting edge, a guideway mounted on the head, a plunger slidably and rotatably mounted in the guideway for axial movement in a direction perpendicular to the cutting edge of the blade and substantially parallel to the plane of the blade, the handle being connected to said plunger, and means for limiting rotary movement of the plunger and handle.

5. A razor including a head member and a handle member, a blade carried in the head member, and guide means on one of the members slidably and rotatably mounting the head for lateral sliding movement relative to the handle in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the blade.

6. A razor including a head member and a handle member, a blade carried in the head member and having a downwardly disposed cutting edge, -a guideway mounted on one of the members disposed laterally of the head member and substantially parallel to the plane of the blade, a plunger slidably mounted in the guideway, the other member being secured to said plunger, and resilient means yieldingly opposing upward movement of the head member relative to the handle member.

ALFRED G. RYLEY. 

